BACK TO BASICS WITH HAIR

Image from Explore Marbella

Do you remember my post about whether I should get a fringe or not?  

That was just before last Christmas…well “getting a fridge” was my way of trying to sort out a real need to improve the condition of my hair.  However, getting a fringe doesn’t sort out the condition of your hair!

Us girls can spend lots of money on clothes and make-up; but the fact remains, if your hair does not look good then you are a) not feeling that great about yourself and b) not achieving that overall complete look!

Once the penny dropped that I really needed to focus on looking after my hair, I made a few changes to get me on the right road.  This was back in January, and I would say I’m about 80% there now!

So I would like to share some of my learnings for those of you, who like me, may not be totally happy with their hair:

1. Firstly it starts with too much daily heat!  And so on work days I’ve stopped using my straighteners (yes it hurt!!) but it had to be done.  Not only have I discovered I can survive without them, but the ends of my hair are so much thicker!  It’s taken about 4 months to achieve this.
2. I’m wanted my hair long, and because I usually have split ends very quickly (through using straighteners), I was having my hair cut every 5-6 weeks – well my cycle now is 8 weeks and the length of my hair is longer than I’ve known it to be for years!
3. I’m suppose to only blow-dry my hair every other day – however my morning bed hair is untameable!!! And so I’ve compromised, I blow dry my hair daily using the least amount of time and “pulling” with a brush as possible – again I think this has really helped!
4. Using good quality styling products – my two favourite labels are James Brown London and label.m
5. In the last two weeks, I’ve started using Moroccan Oil – this is not a styling product, but a leave in oil – this has added much needed gloss to my hair
6. My final step is to convert to using a premium quality shampoo and conditioner.  This was recommended to me back in January, however my budget doesn’t really stretch to this…I tend to opt for what ever the offer is at the supermarket, because I get through lots of shampoo.  However, my thoughts on this are changing!  I’ve been watching “How not to get old” with Anna Richardson and Louise Rednapp, and in an interview with a hairdresser he recommended not to use shampoos that contain Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLS) – this agent makes all the foaming…apparently the more foaming the more unkind this type of shampoo is for your hair.  I’m now thinking this may be my the missing 20%? (one I’m still thinking about).

And so through making changes, being focused and committed, you can turn a situation around – it hasn’t happened overnight.  I’m far more confident that the condition of my hair is back on track and I can keep it long without feeling the need to bob it, to lose the bad ends!

If you have any hair tips that you would like to share or know of any products that you think could help – leave a comment, I would love to hear from you!